


in the end, love is not there to save you

by coreoftheabyss



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, I wrote this a while ago, bear with me, but gonna post this here, it's an age of ultron thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 11:35:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6954865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coreoftheabyss/pseuds/coreoftheabyss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: "what if what tony saw in his vision was pepper (and bc rhodey) and not the team"</p>
            </blockquote>





	in the end, love is not there to save you

**Author's Note:**

> For peppeerpotts on tumblr :)

He knew this wasn’t real. Logically. Rationally. Pepper was half way around the world; she wasn’t anywhere near Sokovia. It just didn’t make any sense. 

Strucker was messing with his mind. He _knew_ this, damn it, but..

Her hair felt so real against his shoulder. The weight of her body, so familiar, pressed against his. 

Her blood trickling down his back. Her blood _all over his hands_. How her stuttering breaths felt against his neck; how his heart pounded as hers faltered, dwindling away, and taking with it the one thing…

_“You said you couldn’t live without me, Tony…”_

-

The Avengers had left him long before this. He didn’t know how he knew this, and he didn’t know why, but he knew they were gone. It was probably his fault. Wasn’t it always?

Jarvis died first. Tony knew he would have tried his best to salve the A.I.’s code, but it had been corrupted beyond recognition. In the end he had to shut Jarvis down. Tony thought he’d be ready for it, the second time around, but somehow, it managed to hurt worst. Somehow, it felt like killing a friend.

Rhodey had been the second to go. He died how he lived: protecting Tony. He still couldn’t figure out why Rhodey thought he was worth protecting, even after all the years they spent together, but Tony never imaging that he’d be the reason why James Rhodes died. Rhodey was a _military_ man, damn it, yet Tony still managed to be the cause of his best friend’s death. _Fuckin’ hell_ , of course he’d be.

Tony knew the only reason why he survived Rhodey’s death was because Pepper refused to let him go. 

Only now…

-

When he found her, she was still alive. But there was blood all over her abdomen, her body, her clothes, the rubble, the floor, the cloth he was pressing against her. _His fucking hands_ as he rushed to her side, frantically trying to stop the all the blood pouring out of her body.

“Pepper, please..” He pleaded, his eyes wet. He didn’t care. He couldn’t be strong about this. No fucking way. Losing Pepper.. He couldn’t. He just. Couldn’t. Please. Not Pepper. _Not Pepper_.

“Tony,” she had whispered, with barely a breathe left in her. Her eyes were so full of pain and fear; the brightness that usually occupied them was fading away with every second. And still, her voice continued to fill the space with “Tony, tony, tony..”

“This isn’t real. This isn’t fuCKING REAL!” Tony’s voice echoed around the destruction, choked with panic, quiet and loud at the same time. He knew he needed to calm down, at least for Pepper’s sake. 

“This isn’t real, Pepper, this isn’t. Real. It isn’t real. It’s not. Real. Hey Pepper, c’mon, it isn’t real.” 

Tony managed to recite his mantra several times, his voice significantly more tranquil than before. He knew he was only fooling himself. 

He almost believed it.

_She was still saying his name._

_“T.. Tony..”_

-

Her voice was fading. Instinctively, Tony hugged her, clutching her body tightly against his as if he could stop her life from escaping if he held her hard enough. “Pepper,” he said, nuzzling his face against the side of hers, “Pepper. Please don’t.” His voice was lethally steady. That’s how she knew he was begging.

“Tony.. Look at me, Tony..”

His eyes turned to meet hers. Somehow, the pain was gone, and her eyes were filled with love. With love, for _him_. He quickly turned away. He couldn’t bear it. 

Pepper was still saying something, trying to bring her mouth closer to his ear because her voice was growing weaker. Instantly, Tony cradled her head, and helped her. “Pepper..” he whispered, a broken sob against her shoulder, “Pepper, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry..”

“Tony..” she sighed against his ear, “Oh, Tony.. I love.. you.. I love you.. so much…” Her voice was his salvation as he repented against her bloodied body. 

“Tony, I loved you so much. How could you do this to me? You promised to protect me. _How could you let this happen??”_

 _What? No. Please, no. No. Please. No._ He turned to look at her, to search her eyes that were so filled with love just a moment before, but her hands suddenly turned to vices against his back.

_“No, Tony, listen. Listen. This is your fault. You..r faul..t… Tone.. Tony…”_

-

With a start, Tony came back to himself. He looked around, and realized he was still in Strucker’s super-secret, mad-scientist playroom.

 _Wow, what a hell of a hallucination_ , he thought, chuckling nervously. Out loud, he said “J, you still there?” He tried to shake off his nervousness as he remembered that he dismantled the A.I. in his weird dream-vision thing.

“For you, sir, always.”

Out came a loud, wobbly breath. Jarvis was being as snarky as always, which meant everything was fine.

“Just finishing up in here. Tell the others what I found.” He voice was still a bit unsteady, but that couldn’t be helped. _It’s fine_ , Tony scolded himself, _everything is fine; it wasn't real. Strucker was just messing with your mind. Get it together, Stark, you’re still on the field._

A nagging voice in his subconscious refuse to quiet as it relentlessly supplied other scenarios. It wasn't real, but it could’ve been, it insisted. 

_Do you really want to risk not being prepared?_


End file.
